Jenny Bladow

Date of Award

January 2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Jared Schlenker

Abstract

The United States Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (1978) suggests that every citizen has the right to receive environmental education. Compared to previous generations, children today spend less time outdoors interacting with nature and all it offers. The current leisure trends are encompassed in technology as it becomes more accessible to children in the form of social media platforms or streaming on-demand TV shows. Perhaps there is a way to bring back the importance of nature and intertwine environmental education concepts into teacher preparation programs. In that case, there is hope for future generations of children to reap the benefits of nature and more community members who are environmentally literate. When referencing Education for Sustainability (EfS), Evans states (2020), “Promoting EfS in teacher education is not an option. We live in uncertain times. Current and future populations face more contestation, contradictions, and uncertainty than ever” (p. 819). This study aims to provide guidance on implementing environmental education into existing teacher preparation program curricula, guided by informed decisions based on a review of the primary literature and feedback from faculty members at universities where environmental education is already being implemented. The essential components of this study consist of input from 18 faculty members through qualitative surveys, as well as input from 10 faculty members through semi-structured interviews. The findings from both are summarized through a plan of implementation that could be used immediately by teacher preparation programs to begin incorporating environmental education with preservice teachers.

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